Advertising device



` i W. W. HAMEL H ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed May 26. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l V All. Iv y. l y/ v,/," il

l;r ff

ATTORNE 5.

I 1,651,597 W. W. HAMEL v ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed May 2G. 1925 l 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO 'Eva w. w. HAMEL ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed May 26. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheec 5 ATTOR N EYS.

Dec. 6, 192 7.

w.w; HAMEL ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed May 2611925 Pfg/3 5 Sheets-Syhe'et 5 INVENTOR W Wi//l'am Ha/we/ ATTORNE 5.

Patented Decp, 1927.

UNITED STATES i 1,651,597 lPATENT oFFicE.

WILLIAM W. HAMEL, NEW YORK,-N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ADVERTISING SAMPLERS, INC., F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF.NEW YORK.

ADVERTISING DEVICE.

Application led May 26, 1925. `Serial No.V 32,898.

n This invention relates to advertising devices and particularly to devicesy ot this character adapted tor use in vehicles, such as taxicabs, busses and so forth.

At the present time there are many thou' sand taxicabs, busses and similar public conveyances in this country and such vehicles otter an enormous lield tor placing advertising matter before the public.

As is Well known, advertising cards are displayed in public conveyances, such as busses and railway cars, but the number of advertisements that can be so displayed is limited by the space available for that purpose. Furthermore, in vehicles, such as taxicabs, there is not suliicient available space tor such advertising display cards. l l

rl"his invention has Yfor its salient object to provide an advertising device so 4constructed and arranged that advertisements can be intermittently displayed or displayed one at a time betere the passengers in the vehicle Whenever the vehicle is in motion and is occupied.

fin-other object of the invention is to provide an advertising device ot'` the character described having a strip of advertisements thereon and so constructed and arranged that the strip will be ted step by step or intermittently betorethe passenger and will be automatically reversed when it has been entirely ted from one reel to the other.

Another object of the invention is to provide an advertising device of the character specified so constructed and arranged that the advertising strips or reels can be easily and quickly removed and replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character specified so constructed and arranged that the device will start to operate when a passenger is seated in the vehicle and the vehicle is set in motion but will cease to operate when the passenger leaves the vehicle or the vehicle isvacant. f

Further objects ot the invention will appear :trom the following specification taken in connection with the drawings, which torni a part oi this application, and in which Fig. l is a perspective view-of a taxicab having mounted therein an advertising device constructed in accordance With the invention nig. is a sectional elevation through the cabinet of the advertising device illustrating the reels and strip control mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a fronty elevation ot the cabinet having mounted therein annadvertising device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4lis a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 1 -4t of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken lsubstantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 4t. 4

Fig. 76 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 7-7of Figa;

Fig. 8 is a sectionalelevation of one of the reels taken substantially on line 8-8 ot Fig. 4.-; y Fig.V 9 is a top plan view partly in `section of a taxicab showing the location of the advertising device and ythe mechanism controlled bythe seats for placing the device in operation; i

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 10-10 of Fig. 9;

F ig. 11 is a plan view taken substantially on line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation takenv substantially on line 12-12 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 isa view similar to Fig. 9, but showing the door operated'mechanism tor controlling the `operation ot the device;

Fig. 14 is a sectional elevationshowing the clutch and lamp controlling means; i

Fig. 15 is a sectional elevation takensubstantially on line 15-.15 otFig. 17;

Fig. 16 is a sectional elevation taken subf stantiallv on line 16-16 of Fig. 17. y

Fig. 17 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 17-17 of Fig. 16; and

Fig. 18 is an elevational view showing the connections between the seat control mechanism and clutch and lamp controlling delll) the strip is given a step by step orintermittent feed so that each advertisement on the strip will be displayed for a short period of time before theoccupant or passengers in the vehicle. Means is alsoy provided for automatically reversing the feed when one of the reels is empty and the other is full. Coni .trol means is also provided whereby the device will not operate unless the vehicle is occupied and will start to operate as soon as a passenger is seated and the vehicle starts moving. lhis control means is so constructed and arranged that when the passenger leaves the vehicle or when the vehicle is vacant, the device will cease to operate. Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

The advertising device comprises a. cabinet having a back wall 20, an upper wall 21 and a bot-tom` 22, a cover having; a front wall 23, side walls 2t and a. curved lower end 25 of the front all is mounted to swing downwardly about the axis of the operating shaft as a pivot.V A lock 2G is provided for holding the front of the cabinet or cover in closed position, the loclr having a slide bar 27 engaging an aperture in a projecting lug 28 formed on the upper wall 21.

Reel mounting and reel drre.

A frame is secured at its ends to the side walls 2l of the cover and extends down- 'ardly to form bearings 36 for the opposite ends of the shaft 80.

The frame 35 also has inwardly extending lugs 37 and 3S disposed `in alinement with apertured bosses 39 and l() in which are mounted the hollow reel shafts Ll1 and 42. Reels or spools i3 and tai are secured to and are rotatable with the reel shafts, the lower ends of the spools having slots a5 receiviiig studs 116 carried by the hollow shafts fl-1 and e2.

The hollow shafts 41 and 42 have extending therethrough spindles and 51 which y are rotatably mounted in the hollow shafts and extend through the lugs 3T and 38 at their lower ends.

Collars 52 and` 53 are mounted on the spindles 50 and 51 above the lugs.

' The shafts 4:1 and' 42 are threaded as shown at 55 at their upper ends and nuts arms or pins`62.

The operating shaft 30 ma5 be delven from any moving' part of the vehicle and in the particular forni of the invention shown. this shaft has connected to one end thereof a flexibleshaft G5, the other end of the'shaft having secured thereto a worm 66 wnicn meshes with a worin gear 67 mounted on one of the front wheels of the vehicle.

rlthe shaft 30 has slidably splined thereto a sleeve 70 having flanges 71 and 72 at its Vends and has secured thereto sleeves 7 and 74 provided with radially extending pins 75. The slee-ves 73 and il have formed thereon flanges 7G and each flange engaged by a spring .strip 7'? having a pair of depressions 78 and 79 there-in. rllhe strips T7 are secured to brackets 8O which in turn are mounted ou the back wall 2O of the cabinet and form bearings for the sleeve 70. lith the parts in the position shown in F 4f, the pins 75 of the sleeve 'ist are adapted to engage and rotate the pins G2 of the sleeve 61 on the hollow shaft 42. Thus the spool #14; will be rotated to wind up the strip 81.

Fecal reve/'sing medium/ism.

Means is provided for shifting the sleeve TO longitudinally on the shaft TO so as to movethe pins l5 of the sleeve 73 into driving relation with referenceto the pins ('52 of the shaft 41. rl'his means is controlled by the arms 5S and 59. Each of these arms has secured thereto a pair of rods S5 and 86 eX- tending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the reel controlled thereby. The arms 5S and 59 are normally held in the positionof the arm 58 in Fig. 2 by means ot tension springs 87 which are secured toy the arms adjacent the ends thereof and are fixed at their opposite ends as shown at 88.

ldler rollers or guide rollers S9 are mounted on rods 90 extending between the frame member 35 and bars 91 and the bars 91 are carried by rods 92 secured at their ends to the frame member 35 and to the bars 91. Rods 93 also extend between the bars 91 and the frame member 35 and have mounted thereon sleeves 911. Arms 95 are secured to each of the sleeves 94 and these arms carry at their opposite ends. rollers 96 which are pressed into engagement with the reels of paper by means ol. spring strips 9T secured to the arms and engaging the back wall 2l) of the cabinet.

Stop pinsl S mounted on the bars 91 limit the movement of the arms 58 and 59 by the tension springs 87. l

The strip 8l of advertising material has secured thereto adj: cent the two ends thereof a series of buttons or eyelets 1007 these members extending across the width of the strips as illustrated in Fig. 6 and the rods and 8G are disposed close enough together so that the eyelets or buttons cannot pass between them with the strip.

Spring tension rollers 1,01 and 192 are Btl lll)

Leanser pivoteu arms 105i and are resiliently uetuated by springs 104 engaging the arras 1Q2. Cross rods 105 limit the niovenient of the rollers by the springs. lt 'will be noted that the rollers 101 and 102 and the cross rods 105 are disposed at opposite sides of an opening 1.06 inthe front cover of the cabinet and maintain the strip in flat position as it passes behind the ope-nin g' and is observedthrough the glass Window 107 carried by the cover and positioned over the opening.

Operation dri/ve md reversing mechanism.

With lthe parts in the positions illustrated in Fig. 4, the pins 75 carried by the sleeve 7 4 are dispose'd in position toengage the pins (52 carried by the sleeve 61; Therefore, as the shaft is rotated, the hollow shaft or sleeve 70 and sleeve 74 will also be rotated, thus causing .the rotation of the sleeve 61 and holloiv reel shaft 42. The strip Willy, therefore, be Wound on the reel 44 and be Withdrawn from the reel lVhen the reel is empty, the eyelets or buttons 100 carried adjacent the end of the strip secured to the reel 4,3 will engage the rods 85 and 86 carried by thearm 58. This will cause the rotation of the spindle Which in turn will cause a` lug 110 secured to the lower end of the spindle to engage the flange 71 by the left hand end of the sleeve and by reason of this engagement, to move the sleeve 7 O to the left, thus at the saine time moving` the pins of the sleeve 74 out of cooperative relation With the pins 62 of the sleeve 61. At the same time, the pins 75 of the sleeve 73 will be moved into operative relation with respect to the pins G2 of the sleeve 60. The spring strips 77 will retain the sleeves 7 3 and 74 in both positions of adjustment.

As soon ast-he strip has been Aunwound from the reel44, the buttons carried by ythe strip adjacent that end thereof Willengaee the rods 85 and'86 as shown in Fie. 2, thus causing the spindle 51 and lug 111 secured to the lower end `of the spindle 51 to move the sleeve 7 O to the right to the'position shown in Fig. 4. Y

'lhus it will be seen that the reels will be alternatelydriven, the feeding` of the web being' automatically reversed when the web has been univound from one reel and Wound up on the other.

ifln'onwc control for Zr/oe shaft and Zoon/p.

vehicle is unoccupied by passengers ForV this reason, control moans has been designed so constructed and arranged that the lamp will be lighted and the Strip \vi.ll be oper'- ated when the cab is. Occupied but when the cab is vacant, the lamp circuit Will be open and the strip feed Will be disconnected from the drive shaft.

Clutch and lmnp cof'mrot mec/wwwa.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs; 9 to 12 and 1,8, this,mechanism is Controlled by the vehicle seats. As shown in Fig. 1S, the flexible shaft 65 has secured thereto a. Clutch member 12() adapted to be engaged by a coacting` oluteh member 121 slidably mounted on the shaft 30. A lever 122 is mounted on a lined pivot 123 and has an arm 124- provided with a bifurcated end 125 engaging the clutch member 121. The lever 122 also has an oppositely extending' arm 126 positioned to be engaged by one end 127 of a` flexible shaft 128. The shaft 128 extends through a flexible sheath 129 and has secured to its opposite end a button or plate 130i v The plate 130 and shaft carried thereby vare forced upwardly (see Figs. 1G and 12") bv a springa 131 which one end engages the plate 130 and at its opposite end engages an abutment 132 positioned in a recess .formed in the seat frame 133. The shaft is also forced `upwardly by means of a spring` 134 which engages a collar 135 secured to the shaft. A. stop collar 13G carried by the shaft limits the upward movement thereof, this collar being,r disposed below the abutment. An arm 135 is pivoted on each side of the frame 133 as shown at 136 and has its inner end disposed above and resting' upon the plate or button 130. Springs 137 are mounted between thefframe 133 and the arms 135 and normally forces these arms upwardly; Seats 140 are mounted on theseat frame 133 and rest at their forward ends on the upper ends of the pivpted arms 135. The springs 137 beneath the pivoted arms are of suohstrengrth that the seats 140 Will be maintained as shown in the position illustrated in 12 unless thepassenger seats himself thereon. v

The lever 124 also has an arm 150 extending; upwardly therefrom and positioned to engage a switch compiising` Contact members `151 and 152 and to force these membersy into Contact with each other. thus closing` the lamp circuit which includes Wires 153 and 154 which are connected to the switch contacts.

Operation of seat controlled mechanism.

When a passenger seats himself on one of the seats 140, the arm 135 beneathy the seat will force downwardly the `button or plate 130 and force longitudinally through its Vsheath Vor casing, the Shaft 128. The shaft in turn will swing the lever' 122 about its pivot 123 closing the clutch 120, 121 and closing the lamp switch 151, 152. Thereupon, the lamp will be lighted and when the vehicle is operated, the strip will be fed.

Description 0f control mechanism shown n Figs. 13 to 17 z'nclusz'oe.

122, lever clutch arm 12A, arm 126 and switch constrol arm are utilized as explained in connection with the control mechanism illustrated inFigs. 9 to 12 and 18.

The control mechanism is shown as operable byone of the doors but it should be understood that the same control mechanism can be applied, if desired, to both of the rear doors of the vehicle. The door 160 is shown as hinged at 161 and is adapted to swing outwardly in the usual manner. A lever 162 is pivoted at 163 to the door and is springpressed in an anti-clockwise direction by a spring 164. The lever 162 has an offset end 165 disposed in the path of teeth 166 carried by a toothed wheel 167 mounted on shaft 168. The shaft 168 also has mounted thereon a cam 169 having extensions 170 and 171 and depressed portions 172 and 173, the extensions and depressions alternating around the axis of the cam. A spring 175 engages the toothed wheel 167 and retains this wheel in its adjusted. positions.

A bell crank lever 176 is mounted on the fixed pivot 177 and carries at one end a roller 17 8 positioned in the path of `the cam 169. The other end of the bell crank lever is connected to a fiexible shaft 130 which as shown in Fig. 14 is connected to the arm 126 of the lever i 122.

@parution of structure shown n Figs. 13 o 17 inclusive.

Since there are four teeth on the toothed wheel 167 and two projecting portions and two depressed portions on the cam 169, it will be evident that when the toothed wheel is rotated. the roller 176 will be positioned alternately on one of thc projecting portions 170 and 171 and one of the depressed portions 172 and 173. The toothed wheel is rotated by means of the engagement rof the offset end 165 of the roller 162 with a tooth of the wheel and every time the kdoor is opened, the wheel will be rotated one tooth. rEhe shaft 168 will be so adjusted initially that the first opening of the door 160 to admit a passenger will cause the roller 178 to ride onto the elevated or projecting portion 170 or 171 of the cam 169. This will cause a pull onthe shaft 180, thus swinging the lever 122 in a clockwise direction, throwing in the yclutch 120, 121 and closing the lamp switch 151, 152.

The advertising devicewill then operate until the door 160 is again opened to permit a passenger to leave whereupon the toothed wheel 167 will be rotated another tooth, thus positioning the roller 17 8 in one of the depressions on the cam 169, causing the shaft 180 to move in the opposite direction, thereby throwing` out the clutch and opening the lamp switch.

It will be evident that control mechanism like that just described can be installed for both of the doors if this seems desirable.

From the foregoing specification it will be evident that simple, practical and effective means has been designed for displaying advertising material in a vehicle and that by the means described, the device will be operative only when the vehicle is occupied and will be automaticallyreversed when one of the reels has been emptied and the other has been filled- Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modilication and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

, lhat I claim is:

1. In combination, a vehicle, a driving element thereon, seats in said vehicle, an advertising device comprising a strip having a plurality of advertisements thereon, and operative step by step driving connections between said driving elements and said strip, said driving connections including clutch mechanism, means for moving said clutch mechanism to inoperative position and means controlled by said seats for moving the clutch mechaninsm to operative position.

2. In combination, a vehicle having seats, a driving element on the vehicle, an advertising device comprising a pair of reels, a strip secured thereto and a lamp intermediate the reels and behind the strip, a switch for the lamp, a drive shaft, operative connections includinga clutch between said shaft and said driving element, operative driving connections between said shaft for driving said reels, and means controlled b V said seats for closing said clutch and said lamp switch. Y

3. In combination, a` vehicle having seats, a driving element on the vehicle, an adver-l tisingv device comprising a. pair of reels, a strip secured thereto and aI lamp intermediate the reels and behind the strip, a switch for the lamp, a drive` shaft, operative connections including a clutch between said shaft and said driving element, selective means carried by said sha-ft for driving switch, and automatically operable mechanism including control means carried by the strip for changing the drive from one reel to the other reel.

5. An advertising device comprising' a pair of reels adapted to feed a strip of advertising material, reel shafts, a. drive shaft,

Va driven shaft operatively connected thereto, gearing elements on said driven shaft, a gear element on each reel shaft, and means controlled by the strip for alternately shifting the driven shaft gear elements into operative engagement with the reel shaft gear elements. l

6. An advertising device comprising a pair of reels adapte-d to feed a strip of advertising material, reel shafts, a drive shaft, a driven shaft operatively connected thereto, gearing elements on said driven' shaft, a gear elementon each reel shaft, and means controlled by the strip for alternately shift-` ing the driven shaft gear elements into operative engagement with the reel shaft gear elements, said gear elements being constructed and arranged to impart a .step by step feed to the strip.

7, An advertising device comprising a pair of reels adapted to feed a strip of advertising material, reel shafts, a drive shaft, a driven shaft operatively connected thereto, gearing elements on lsaid driven shaft, a gear element on each reel shaft, means controlled by the strip for alternately shifting the driven shaft gear elements into operative engagement with the reel shaft gear elements, and means for holding the driven shaft gear elements in adjusted position.

8. An advertising device comprising a pair of reels adapted to feed a strip of advertising material, reel shafts, adrive shaft, a driven shaft operativelyconnected thereto, gearing elements on said driven shaft, a gear element on each reel shaft, means controlledv by the strip for alternately shifting the driven shaft gear elements into operative engagement with the reel shaft gear elements, and yieldable means for holding the driven shaft gear elements in adjusted .position.

9. In combination, a vehicle having seats, a driving element on the vehicle, an advertising device comprising a pair of reels, astrip secured thereto and a lamp intern'iediat'e the reels and behind the strip, a switch Jor the lamp, a drive shaft, operative connections including a" clutch `between said shaft and said driving element, selective means carried by said shaft for drivingeither of said reels, means controlled by said seats for closing said clutch and said lamp switch, and antomatically operable i'nechanism including control means carried by the strip and means extending across the strip for changing the drive from one reel to the other reel.

lO. In combination, a vehicle having seats, a driving element on the vehicle, an adver- Using device comprising a pair of reels, a strip secured thereto and a lamp intermediate the reels and behind the strip, a switch for the lamp, a drive shaft, operative connections including a clutch between said shaft and said driving element, selective means carried by said shaft for driving` either ofsaid reels, means controlled by said seats forclosing said clutch and said lamp switch, and automatically operable mechanism including means carried by and adjacent each end of the strip and means adjacent each reel for changing the drive from one reelto the other.

ll. In combination, a vehiclehaving seats, a driving element on the vehicle, an advertising device comprising a pair of reels, a

V.strip secured thereto and a lamp intermediate the reels and behind the strip, a switch for the lamp, a. drive shaft, operative connections including a clutch between said shaft and said driving element, means carried by said shaft for driving said reels intermittently, and means disposed beneath and operable by said seats for closing said clutch and said lamp switch.

l2. In combination, a vehicle having seats, a driving element on the vehicle, an advertising device comprising a pair of reels, a strip secured thereto and av lamp internn diate the reels and behind the strip, a switch lfor the lamp, a drive shaft` Voperative connections including a clutch between said shaft and said driving element, means carried by said shaft for driving said reels intermittently, and normally inoperative means disposed beneath the seats controlling said clutch and switch, said means being operable when a seatis occupied to throw in the clutch and close the switch. f 13. In combination, a vehicle having seats, a driving element' on the vehicle, an advertising device comprising` a pair of reels, a strip secured thereto andr a lamp intermediate the reels and behind the strip, a switch for the lamp, a drive sha-ft, operative connections including al clutch between said shaft and said driving element, meansv carried by said shaft for driving said reels intermittently, and means operable bya pas- Sanger for Simultaneously throwing in the clutch and closing the switch.

M. In combination, a vehicle having a seat, a driving element on the vehicle, an advertising' device comprising' a pnirrof reels and 2L strip thereon, a shaft, operative eonl neetons including a Clutch between said shaft and said driving; element, Sait shaft belng movable lnto drlvlng' relation Wlth either of said reels, means for shifting said l0 

